Seat Belt Use at Night Important for Car Accident Safety

May 2008

Recently published car accident statistics issue a warning to drivers in anticipation of the Memorial Day weekend – make sure to buckle your seatbelt, especially at night. More than two-thirds of young drivers and passengers who are killed in nighttime automobile crashes do not wear seat belts.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 68 percent of drivers and passengers between the ages of 16 and 20 who were killed in nighttime car crashes in 2006 did not buckle their seat belts. During the daytime, 57 percent of the young motorists and passengers who were killed in accidents were not wearing seat belts. The statistics are not much better for adults – over 60 percent of drivers and passengers who died at night were not wearing seatbelts.

NHTSA representatives believe that teens do not buckle up because of inexperience and a sense of fearlessness. The agency is encouraging states to adopt licensing programs for new drivers that prevent young people from driving with other teenagers in the car. Additionally, fatal car accidents involving teenagers at night are more likely to also involve factors such as alcohol, which may indicate a general nighttime trend of risk taking.